SPEAR The most
common weapon of the Middle Ages was the spear. It was cheap and
easy to make since it required very little metal, kept the enemy at a nice
distance, and was simple to use. A spear could deliver a lethal thrust,
and was quite deadly in the hands of an experienced fighter. The
spear is such an effective weapon, in fact, that Midgard does not use
them in normal fighting--someone
could get hurt! They are reserved for special fighting routines and
living history. Atli's tutorial on forging a spearhead is on the
Anvilfire site, http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/
, demo number 152.

CLUB New rec fighters
are restricted to using non-metalic weapons, as stated in the fighting rules. Usually this means a club. Oddly enough, the
only people shown using clubs on the Bayeux Tapestry are Duke William and
Bishop Odo--clearly the simply bludgeon already had some of the status
it was to enjoy as it evolved into the mace and the sceptre. For
our purposes the club is a sturdy hardwood stick, preferably with a loop
of cord or thong to go around the wrist. It may NOT be pine or softwood.
Test it by striking it very hard on a concrete or stone surface.

SWORD The sword
was the ultimate weapon, and steeped in symbolism. It was double-edged,
straight, and slightly tapered, the blade being about 28 to 30 inches long
by 2 inches wide at the hilt. You must be steel qualified to use
a steel sword. Not only should it be at least reasonably accurate
in appearance, but it must be a weapon that you can handle safely.
The edge must be blunted to the thickness of a US penny, and the point
cannot be sharp. Shop around before buying a sword, to make sure
that you get one which is good looking as well as strong enough for fighting. People are
beginning to experiment with wooden swords, for training as well as fighting.
Wooden training swords are also called "wasters". If you want to
try one in a public battle reenactment, it must be painted to look like
a real sword.

Three of Matthew Amt's swords,
154 K. At top, a very cheap repro Viking sword with leather scabbard.
It has a very thin tang and so will probably break unless you swing it
VERY gently! The pommel and guard are not bad, and the appearance
of the blade could be worse. The scabbard is not correct but is not
too offensive. Center, my fighting sword, a cut-down
and re-hilted Windlass Steelcrafts Katzbalger. I made the pommel
from a half-inch thick chunk of brass, and the guard is quarter-inch thick
steel. My steel qualification disc is tied to the grip. The
scabbard is wood covered with wool, and is tipped on edge to show the completely
hypothetical leather belt loop. Bottom, my 13th century Del Tin sword,
with a brazil-nut pommel. Again, the all-leather scabbard is not
correct but won't break if you fall on it. I added the belt, copied
from the funerary brass of Sir John D'aubernon.

A scramasax-type
knife may be worn on the hip, and "fighting saxes" may be used. Double-edged
knives or daggers may not be carried, and no blade may be worn on the leg
or arm since that is not authentic. Knives do get lost during battles,
and you can be injured if you fall on it.

AXE The axe was
another cheap weapon, though Viking battle axes in particular could be
richly decorated. While any farmer's felling axe could be used for
war, axes designed for battle had thinner blades and were not as efficient
at splitting logs. Steel axes may be used only by steel-qualified
fighters, subject to the fighting rules. Edges should be blunted to the thickness of two US pennies.
Axes with cast aluminum heads may also be used; they are somewhat lighter
than equivalent steel axes and therefore safer, but are not as good for
display purposes. Axes may even be made with heads cut from half-inch
plywood, fixed in a notch in a hardwood handle and painted black.
These may be used by non-steel-qualified fighters. Other materials
for axe heads, such as leather or rubber, may certainly be attempted, but
check with the Earl, Battlemaster, or a Steel Qualifier before using them.

Five of my axes, 30 K. From left
to right: Viking axe with cast steel head. 18th century tomahawk
with hand-forged head, almost indistinguishable from some medieval types.
Viking "skeggox" from Albion Armorers. The next one is has a head
cut from half-inch plywood! It is glued and nailed into a notch in
the end of the handle and painted black. Last is a hand-forged reproduction
18th century naval boarding axe masquerading as a 13th or 14th century
battle axe. All have wrist thongs!

BOW Bows and
arrows used in a reenactment battle must meet all safety
requirements as usual. Bows that are not wood should look like
wood--green, blue, or red fiberglass ones can be painted beige or light
brown. Archers may wear a bracer on the left wrist, and a shooting
glove or tab. For rules on arrow construction, see http://www.markland.org/rulesfrat.php#arrows.